Ghost
by Neonn
Summary: He cried for friends lost, opportunities missed, a world full of change when he remained static, eternally a young man. Most of all, he cursed the Kyuubi in him, the demonic fox that wouldn't let him die.
1. Chapter 1

Neonn: Yeah. I get weird ideas sometimes. And, since I have no idea where I would go with this, it will probably remain a one-shot. As usual.

Disclaimer: Naruto (c) Kishimoto. Do you have to remind me?

xXx

Time. Time had always meant nothing to it. For the Kyuubi, what did it matter if one year passed or a hundred? It was immortal. Until that pesky human had sealed it away, locked it up in the body of a crying child. For the first time in its existence, it knew to fear death. It's life was tied to its human host. Should the boy die, so would the Kyuubi. And it could not allow that to happen.

xXx

"Hey there, 'jiisan! You should watch where you're going!" said the loud, obnoxious blonde young man, rudely flipping off the gray wrinkled man who had gotten in his way. The old man turned to glare, black eyes becoming red, kaleidoscope eyes whirring in anger. Just because he was old didn't make him entirely feeble. Old, angry red eyes met bright, defiant blue ones, both sets widening in shock.

"Naruto?" asked the old sharingan user in shock. "Impossible...you died..."

"Sauske-teme," said Naruto weakly, staring at what his old rival had become. "Shit." He turned around and bolted, taking no notice to the people shoved to the side.

"Naruto! Wait!" yelled Sasuke, raising a hand after the rapidly disappearing orange flash. "Wait..." But Sasuke was an old man now, and in no shape to be chasing after the jinchuuriki.

"Ojiisan, what's the matter? It looks like you've seen a ghost," a dark eyed, pink haired little boy came up to Sasuke, looking at his grandfather respectfully.

"...hn." Sasuke stared, lost in the past. "A ghost. Yes. That's all it was."

xXx

Far away, in the forest where no one would disturb him, a lonely boy cried. He sat there, crying and cursing. He cried for friends lost, opportunities missed, dreams turned to dust, and a world full of change when he remained static, eternally a young man. Most of all, he cursed the Kyuubi in him, the demonic fox that wouldn't let him die.

-End-

Neonn: Yeah. Originally he was going to meet Sakura, but suddenly it became Sasuke. Possibly I'd like to do one where he meets Sakura, or some of his other friends...Gosh, this is depressing...


	2. Chapter 2

Neonn: Kk, I wrote the first little scene, thinking just to end it there, but found myself literally haunted by the whole undying Naruto thing. I don't think this chapter is as dramatic as the last one, the mood didn't come as quickly, and it seemed to drag on a little. And, to make it clear, Naruto stopped aging in his late teens/very early twenties. So he still looks way young.

xXx

Naruto leaned against the hard, cool stone. "Kakashi-sensei, I saw Sasuke today. He recognized me." Naruto laughed depreciatingly. "Not that difficult. It's not like I've changed much..." Tears threatened to spill onto his cheeks.

"Kakashi-sensei...you still aren't listening. You never do. Always reading your perverted books...I don't know why I bother, I really don't." He paused for a moment. "Why do I do it, Kakashi-sensei? I just keep coming back. It's like I'm some sort of masochist or something." He had gotten control of his tears now, closing his eyes. "You can understand why I did it, don't you? I couldn't keep it up forever...they were already getting suspicious. Who am I kidding? They've _always_ been suspicious and skeptical! And, of course, you're still giving me useless advice. 'Look underneath the underneath,' honestly! There's no 'hidden meaning' to any of this!"

"You remember Shikamaru, right? I saw him, too. I visit him occasionally, though not often. It's...difficult, Kakashi-sensei."

_"Oi, Shikamaru! I brought you a birthday present!" Naruto shoved a basket in front of his friend's face. "It's your favorite—mackerel and kelp!" He smiled proudly, glad he had remembered, feeling lucky he had even shown up on the correct date.  
_

_"Do I know you?" the man asked curiously, words slightly slurring. Naruto's face fell. Shikamaru didn't remember him? Of course not—he couldn't even recognize his wife these days, courtesy of the interrogators of Iwagakure. Deciding to take these sorts of things in stride, Naruto smiled again. "Of course you do! It's me, Uzumaki Naruto!"_

_"Naruto...?" there was a spark of recognition, but only a spark, quickly lost again in the haze that was now Shikamaru's mind._

_"Never mind, Shikamaru! I know, let's play a game! We could play shogi! You like shogi, right?" The other man nodded eagerly. "I like games!"_

_Naruto smiled indulgently, "I know, Shikamaru. I know." Naruto had never been very good at strategy games. Even so, it took everything he had to make sure Shikamaru won._

Naruto's keen, demoniacally enhanced senses picked up the sound of footsteps. Someone was coming. He moved away from the memorial stone, into the surrounding trees, where he could watch and listen without being disturbed. It was an old man, wearing the traditional robes of Hokage, and a little orange-haired boy. The man, despite the age, looked familiar.

"You've never been to the memorial stone, have you?" the man asked, looking down at the young boy. He sounded familiar, too...Konohamaru?

"No, ojiisan. What is it?" Ojiisan? Naruto raised an eyebrow. Staring at Konohamaru and his grandson, Naruto wondered exactly how many years had passed since he had seen him. Twenty? Thirty? More? Naruto knew his sense of time differed from that of a normal human. When had Konohamaru become Hokage?

"Well, here is engraved the names of the heroes of the village—the ninja who died for it," said Konohamaru sadly. He was silent for a moment. "'Nii-chan's name is there." He pointed to the name engraved on the stone. The boy looked at his grandfather in surprise. "Nii-chan? You have a brother?"

"Yeah. He died before you were born. Uzumaki Naruto. He...he was supposed to be the Sixth, but a few days before the Fifth stepped down..." Konohamaru didn't continue. Naruto was surprised. DAYS? He had missed out on his dream by mere _days? _Konohamaru muttered something under his breath. His grandson didn't hear, now engrossed in the list of names, but Naruto heard it clearly. "Damn you, Naruto. You were supposed to be Fifth, not me." Naruto had heard enough.

"I'll be back later, Kakashi-sensei," he waved to the memorial, the name of his teacher engraved on it, and left.

xXx

Neonn: Well, what do you think? Yes, I'm still probably going to just keep writing as a series of little scenes, which may or may not be in chronological order. I'll try to keep it chronological, but...yeah. I actually have the next part figured out, I just have to type it up! Yay, me! And I still can't believe I killed off Kakashi. And poor Shikamaru...


	3. Chapter 3

Neonn: Grrr...I'm not too pleased about how this bit turned out. In addition to being, once again, extremely short, some of it takes place mostly in the way far future, meaning you can say good bye to chronological-order-ness. (Does that make any sense?) I have a few other bits written, but they need a LOT of fine tuning, and I'm not sure how much I like them as they are...meh. I'll get it figured out eventually. Lol, anyone have any ideas or character requests?

XXX

Alone, he traveled; he took in all the sights he hadn't had time to see while he was on his missions. It was hard on him, though. For a long time, he had to be careful, he couldn't risk meeting any of his old friends—with the exception of Shikamaru, who wouldn't remember anyway. Naruto found the solitary life didn't really suit him, however. He was a veritable social butterfly, always making new friends wherever he went. It hurt him, though. Whenever he left a place, exchanging goodbyes, promising to write, he broke a little inside, knowing the promises were empty. He wouldn't see the people met again. Often, by the time he got around to returning, the friends he had made were usually long dead of old age.

Before his supposed 'death', he had visited Gaara often; the two had become close friends. As a former jinchuuriki, the two connected on levels others could not. Both knew the pain of loneliness, of being someone not-needed. Of being a mere vessel for a demon. Of being a monster—of the feeling of invincibility as the chakra of their demonic parasites coursed through them.

Now, Gaara was dust, part of the sand that had been such an integral part of the red haired ninja's life. Naruto often wondered if, had Shukaku not been taken, would Gaara still be around? Still have that serious, thoughtful demeanor so unlike Naruto's own? Not that it mattered anymore—Gaara was long gone. And in some ways, Naruto was glad. He wouldn't wish his existence on anyone. An aimless, wandering, eternal existence, with only a voice in his head for company.

XXX

Inside, he could hear the Kyuubi, laughing, talking, whispering insidiously. Occasionally Naruto wondered if it was actually the fox, or if, sometimes, it was himself. Someimes he couldn't tell the difference--were the thoughts in his head his own? The seal was weakening, after all. It had slowly, steadily, been losing its strength for a long time. After Jiraiya had died, there had been no one to oversee it, no one with the skills and talent necessary. Kakashi had tried, but he wasn't familiar with the seal the Fourth had used, despite being his former student. Yamato had tried, using the abilities of the First Hokage...but he had died, killed when Naruto had gained a sixth tail.

Naruto had been horrified to find that he could see and remember _everything_ that occured, although he was powerless to stop it. When it was over, when he was able to get the Kyuubi back under control, he found he had...changed. A little, anyway. His senses were keener...and he couldn't access his own chakra system anymore, as though the points had been sealed. He was now dependent on the Kyuubi. The old fox had seemed especially pleased about that. It had laughed long and hard, the sinister sound echoing in his head for days.

XXX

Neonn:...bleh...


	4. Chapter 4

Neonn:This takes place a bit after the others, and well, yeah. And part of the reason this took so long was because I wasn't sure of pairings--I'd be hated whatever route I went. So, while it's not my OTP, well, whatever. And yes, I know I'm throwing around Japanese around like there's no tomorrow. :P Hitomi's name cracks me up. Seriously.

xXx

"Mister! Hey, mister! You shouldn't be here!" Naruto turned to regard the small child. Obviously, she was talking to him, as he was the only one around. She let out a small gasp as she saw the damage inflicted. She knew instantly he was a ninja—how else could _that_ have happened. A large slash went across from his right shoulder down to his left thigh, and his clothes were a mess with blood and holes and mud. He must be fighting in the war...but was he with Sunagakure...? No, he had the hitai-ate marking him as one of Konoha's own. An old one, to be sure, dented and outdated, but it had the Leaf.

"Ne, ne, don't mind me!" He said cheerfully. "It's just...sauce! I'm a very messy eater!" she didn't look like she believed him, especially considering there wasn't any of the ..._red_...on his face, but she decided to agree, because the alternative was too horrifying to contemplate. Naruto studied her closely. With those eyes, she was obviously a Hyuuga, probably no more than six.

"You shouldn't be here, mister. Don't you know where you are?" she told him seriously, eyes looking up at him earnestly.

Naruto laughed lightly. "Well, actually, I'm kind of lost." A lie. He knew where he was. He had been here many times, years ago. He had become friends with most of the clan—well, the important members, anyway. Neji, Hiashi, Hanabi...Hinata... "So, what's your name?" he asked.

"...Hitomi. I'm...Hitomi." Naruto nodded thoughtfully. "Ne, Hitomi-chan. Do you know where I can wash off my sauce?" She nodded shyly.

xXx

"So, Hitomi-chan," asked Naruto as he furiously tried to wash the red stains out of his shirt in a small stream. Stupid blood. This was his last shirt--he'd have to get a new one. That meant shopping later. He brushed the thought to the back of his mind. "Do you know a Hyuuga Hinata?"

"You know hiibaba?" said Hitomi, surprised. Naruto's eyes widened. "She's your great-grandmother?" She nodded, wide-eyed. He frowned. Great-grandmother. So she had found someone else then. Well, that was good for her. He was pleased, he was. He really, really was.

"Are...are you a ninja, sir?" asked Hitomi curiously. She was sure he was, but he wasn't like any ninja she had ever seen--wearing bright orange, and that haircut _certainly_ wasn't cut to the requited length, the blonde spikes poking out every which way.

"I am. From Konoha, actually, but I've been traveling, and haven't been around for a while. Imagine my surprise to come home to a war—and with Suna, at that! I wasn't prepared to be ambushed, that's for sure!" He laughed.

"But...we've been fighting them since before I was born!" she blurted out.

"Huh? Strange. We were allies last time I checked..." he mumbled, half to himself. He hated how time seemed to skip for him. Part of the Kyuubi's influence, he had no doubt. It was difficult for him to keep track of time--hours, days, seasons, they all seemed to blend together; it seemed he could now apply that to years as well.

"Hitomi-chan! Hitomi-chan, who is that with you?" a woman called, and Naruto could hear her walking quickly towards them. Naruto cursed silently. To see him through all the thick undergrowth, she must have the Byakugan. He could detect the faint note of hysteria in her voice--she must've seen his chakra system with those eyes as well--unnatural, and far more powerful than most.

"'Kaachan! Ohayo! This is...um...a nice man!" said Hitomi, going to meet her mother. The woman was tall, confident, with the typical dark hair and white eyes characteristic of the Hyuuga clan.

"Ah, gomen. I was visiting, and ran into some unpleasant company," he gestured sheepishly at his ruined shirt. Hitomi's mother eyed him suspiciously, picking the girl up and holding her close. "Tell, me, when did the war start?"

"...seven years ago. It's common knowledge," she added the last part quickly. "Everyone knows that."

"No need to get defensive! I'm not a spy. I'm a loyal ninja of Konoha. I've just...been away for a while." Naruto rose, and turned to leave. Two sets of white eyes followed his every move.

"If you are a ninja, then why aren't you in the regulation uniform?"

"I said I'd been away, didn't I?" Though he had grown up, Naruto tended to degenerate into rudeness when harassed--something unchanged from his youth. The woman stood her ground, not moving despite his outburst, nor saying anything. "I...sorry," he apologized, "I...it has been a long time. But I _am_ a loyal shinobi. And I won't let anything threaten my home. Ever. And now that I'm back..." he grinned cheekily at the two, "Those Sand-nin won't know what hit 'em!"

XXX

"My grandmother used to tell me stories, you know. Of a ninja with hair like the sun, and clothes and a disposition to match. She would say, 'Naruko, that person was amazing. He turned tradition upside down and sideways, but everything always worked out. He opened the cage and chased out all the birds.' I wasn't sure what she meant by that... but I was named after him."

"What happened to him?" asked Hitomi curiously.

"He disappeared—missing in action. A hero. His name is on the memorial stone. But they say that sometimes, you can see his spirit., in the town, the surrounding forest..."

"He's a ghost?" the poor girl looked terrified.

"You could say that. But he's our protector. Many ninja saw him in our war with Sunagakure--several were rescued personally by a 'ninja wearing orange, with spiked, blond hair.' He was there one minute, gone the next, but wherever he went, that team always accomplished their mission."

"What did he look like?"

"You've seen pictures of him before--my grandmother keeps one in her room.

"But the only pictures in there are of her family, and they don't have yellow hair."

"None of them? Are you sure?" Hitomi thought hard for a moment.

"You mean her husband? My great grandfather?"

"That's right—Uzumaki Naruto. One of the greatest ninja there ever was--a hero."

Out of the corner of her eye, Uzumaki Naruko thought she saw a movement. Something brightly colored. But it was probably nothing--a guardian spirit, perhaps.

-End-

Neonn: I'm not sure I used hibaba correct, but whatever. And I have found out that a _naruko_ is a castanet-like clapper, originally designed to scare away birds. I thought that was funny, and oddly appropriate for Naruto.

And, yes, that is the END. Wow, the tone changed in the last chapter. A bit of a happy ending. After all, Naruto got what he wanted--he's regarded as a hero :)


End file.
